Building Route 128,by Yanni Tsipis and David Kruh, is a vivid document of the road’s planning and construction, from the early days of main streets and back roads in towns such as Dedham, Waltham, Lynnfield, and Beverly, through the construction – and reconstruction – of the modern expressway. The book includes previously unpublished images from the Massachusetts Department of Public Works archives as well as the archives of many of the over two dozen towns and cities through which the highway passes. Building Route 128 will appeal not only to those with an interest in Route 128 itself but also to those curious about the history of Boston’s suburbs and the fundamental changes Route 128 brought to the region over the past four decades.

DID YOU KNOW?  That Route 128 began in the 1920s as an ad hoc collection of two-lane roads that formed a rough arc 15 miles from Boston.  Cobbled together by the Department of Public Works, the road was to guide drivers around Boston’s often gridlocked downtown, but quickly caused gridlock in the once-quiet suburbs. Learn more in the pages of Building Route 128.